SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical

Now playing.

Why:

In SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical, director Tina Landau has extracted the essence of Stephen Hillenburg’s 17-year-running cartoon about a cast of creatures — featuring, besides the titular sponge, a lazy starfish, a brainy squirrel, a grumpy squid, a nefarious plankton, and a greedy crab — who live under the sea in a town called Bikini Bottom. Says our critic, “it’s one of the most transgressive musicals today….proving that escapism can be intelligent.”

The Band’s Visit

In previews, opens November 9.

Why:

David Yazbek and Itmar Moses’ musical based on the award-winning film makes its way to Broadway following an acclaimed Off-Broadway run last year. Our critic wrote, “it gives us personal glimpses of loneliness, longing and connection [and] moves with a sweet slowness that is emotionally filled by the multi-talented diverse cast.”